Find Your Teacher

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Never Too Late to Learn an Instrument

Asa guitar teacher with over 20 years experience, I’ve had the
opportunity to work with guitar students of all ages and skill levels.
One student, however, stands out among all. We first met when she walked
into the music store, came up to the counter and said, “I want to
learn how to play guitar. Can a woman of my age do it?” I replied,
“Absolutely!” Uncertain, she asked, “How can you be so sure? I’ve heard
many people say that it’s very hard.” So, I said, “I’ll tell you a
secret, the Guitar is the easiest thing to learn and the hardest thing
to master.” ANYONE can learn how to play guitar. The questions is how far you want to go with it. Think
about it: do you need to know the inner workings of an internal
combustion engine to drive a car? Most people just put the key in, turn it on, and go. Learning the
guitar is the same thing. You could make the choice to learn everything
about guitar, practice countless hours every day, immerse yourself in
music theory and learn the little nuances that have created countless
classics over the years.... Or, you could do what 9 out of 10 adults do. Learn
some chords, and be able to play some songs. Learning enough to put a
smile on your face, relieve the stress from work, jam with some people
at a party or an open mic. There are many options nowadays when it
comes to learning guitar, or any type of instrument for that matter.

Private
instruction, whether in person or via webcam, is by far the fastest way
to learn. The right instructor will have you playing faster than it
would take the YouTube video to finish loading. The instant feedback a
music teacher can give you is priceless when you think about how much
time can be wasted in practicing something incorrectly. Learning how to
play the guitar can be taught in as little as 20 minutes. It’s just like starting the car, after that, you have the rest of your life to enjoy the journey. As
for the woman at the music store, she looked at me and said, “Ok, I’ll
give it a shot.” I said, “That’s all you need to do, give it a try… By
the way, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?” She smiled,
“Would you believe, I’m 88?” No matter what age you are, you can learn.
I’ve taught kids as young as 4 ½ all the way up to Miss Alice who holds
the record as my oldest student at the ripe old age of 88. ANYONE can
learn to play guitar, you just have to give it a try.

3 comments:

The right trainer will have you enjoying quicker than it would take the YouTube movie to complete running. The immediate reviews a songs trainer can give you is precious when you think about how much time can be lost in exercising something wrongly. Studying the instrument can be trained in as little as 20 moments.

Love it! And we wholeheartedly agree. The toughest thing about it is the starting (ain't that the truth with most things?). At the Dallas School of Music I have students that range in age from 5 to 75 - the 75 yr old attends his rock guitar lessons faithfully every Monday morning! Most of the folks who use dlp music books are adults who enjoy having the freedom to visit and learn at their convenience. The truth is - no matter how you choose to learn or at what age you begin - commit to enjoying the journey!